By Jacqui Fatka
Farm Progress
Hundreds of locks and dams along the U.S. inland waterways system have exceeded their lifespans, which causes delays, greater costs and reduced transportation efficiency. Legislators and agricultural groups are urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize funding for construction of the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program on the Upper Mississippi River System, which would be funded through $2.5 billion designated for inland waterways in the recently approved Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.